Anthology: A Vampire for Christmas

A collection of stories by Michele Hauf, Laurie London, Alexis Morgan and Caridad Piñeiro, published October 18, 2011.
Genre: paranormal romance
Cover: naughty smile



All they want for Christmas is you.
It's the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.
And they don't care if you've been naughty or nice.
Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there's no place like home for the holidays - and these dazzling vampires can't wait for an invitation.

Laurie London – Enchanted by Blood

This story is part of her Sweetblood series, and I have not yet read it.

When Charlotte Grant is rescued from a pair of would-be-muggers by a handsome man, she does not know she has met Trace Westfalen before, or that they were in love once. As a vampire, Trace cannot marry a human, he is supposed to create children, and for that he needs a vampire wife. And so, after she witnessed something she really should not have seen, he had no choice but to erase her memory. So although she has forgotten all about him, he has never forgotten about her.
So when Charlotte is in danger, somehow he senses it, and comes to her rescue. When he notices that she has hurt her wrist, he offers to drive her home, and they spend some time together. And he ends up hiring her (again) to decorate his home for the Christmas party his company is throwing.

He knows it is not smart, but he can’t stay away from her, and his grandmother is delighted with it. She really likes Charlotte. But his cousin has other plans for Charlotte, especially when he notices how much Trace cares about her ...


I really enjoyed this story. There are good vampires, and bad ones who treat humans as food only, but they do police themselves strictly. Trace once belonged to them, but now he is in line for his father’s seat on the Council, so he gave up the hunting. And Charlotte. But now, can he choose between obligation and love again?
I liked Charlotte as well, she was not afraid at all when she found at that Trace is a vampire, and they were good together. She is a strong woman, and has build up her own company, in creating decorations for events, and making sure every detail is perfect. She is really talented.

9 stars.

Michelle Hauf – Monsters don’t do Christmas

A chance encounter between Daniel, a lone vampire, and Olivia, a famous singer, leads to a sweet romance. Daniel thinks himself a monster, but he has yet to harm a human. He was changed against his will a year ago, and lost his job as a stockbroker because of it. So now he is roaming the streets, and trying to save another victim and her two little girls. If the mother can make it through the full moon, without giving in to the bloodlust, she will be cured...
The werewolves are after Daniel, as they like making some bloodsport with vampires, and have them fight in their underground rings for survival. One evening, Olivia interferes, and rescues his hide, and they become friends, and lovers.
Olivia is hiding for one month in her ordinary life, outside of the spotlights she is usually in. She enjoys this time of year in her tiny apartment, baking cookies, and decorating a tiny Christmas tree.

I like how they really tried to make it work, and did not take anything for granted. It took a while for Daniel to realize that the image Olivia shows the public, is not the real her.

Yes nice sweet story, original too, 8 stars,

Caridad Pineiro – When Herald Angels sing

I DNF’d this story after a few pages; I just did not like it at all. A vampire in love with an angel, who gets murdered by his enemy time and again? And then travels back in time to meet her all over again for the first time? No. Just no.

Alexis Morgan – All I want for Christmas
I am not sure if this novella is part of her Nocturne Vampire series.

In a world where paranormal creatures are not known to humans, Eagon is a vampire and a cop for the paranormal division. And someone or something is abducting teenage boys, and sucking them dry. All the disappearances happen in the same neighbourhood, and Della’s diner is smack in the middle. It would be a great place to keep watch on what happens on the street.
And so Eagon goes undercover, and does some odd jobs for Della who thinks he is in need of a handout, as he has forgotten his wallet the first time, and she is a very generous woman. He prevents a robbery, and in return gets some free coffee. As a vampire he could eat, but it does nothing for him. Della is protected though, one of her customers is a werewolf, who instantly knows what Eagon is, and warns Della away from him, who doesn’t understand why.
And old Harry, who she has been taking care of as well, is not really human either.

But with her young dishwasher, Eagon finally gets some grip on the case, and when Della and the boy are in danger, he has no choice but to blow everyone’s cover. Will she still accept him?


I loved this story especially, and it was the reason I bought the book. I love Alexis Morgan’s work. I am still sad her two best series have been cancelled by the publisher, as I enjoyed them very much.

Della is such a sweet and caring woman, she loves Christmas, and makes sure all her customers are well taken care off. But she is not a pushover, and she knows that she wants Eagon.
Eagon is a cop, and good at his work. He is determined to protect humans from preying supernaturals, and he wants Della but knows he should stay away from her. He just can’t.

A great story, and a great romance, all in one. If this is part of a series, I want more.

9 stars.

So, as usual, three good stories and one dud for me. If you are a fan of Caridad Pineiro, you might enjoy that one more than I did. I do recommend this anthology. If you haven’t read anything by Alexis Morgan, this is a good opportunity to find out if you like her style. I certainly do.

Overall rating: 8 stars.



Bought for the Alexis Morgan story.

© 2015 Reviews by Aurian